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Germany's VDMA calls EU's exemption plans for US goods a 'slap in the face'
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 29, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 29, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
VDMA criticizes EU's plan to exempt US goods from tariffs, urging renegotiation to protect European industry from job losses and competitive disadvantages.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's VDMA machinery and equipment manufacturers lobby on Friday called the EU's planned tariff exemption for certain products from the United States "a direct slap in the face" and said the EU Commission needed to "urgently renegotiate".
The European Commission proposed on Thursday removing duties on imported U.S. industrial goods in return for reduced U.S. tariffs on European cars.
"Duty-free access for U.S. products while simultaneously extending punitive tariffs to European machinery - that would not only be unbalanced, but also a direct slap in the face for one of the pillars of European industry," said the VDMA.
The lobby, which represents some 3,600 German and European firms, warned that there would be serious consequences to such a move, including job losses and enormous competitive disadvantage.
"The EU Commission must urgently renegotiate. Mechanical engineering products must be clearly and permanently exempted from sectoral tariffs," said the VDMA.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)
The VDMA called the EU's planned tariff exemption for certain U.S. products a 'direct slap in the face' for European machinery manufacturers.
The VDMA warned that the exemption could lead to serious consequences, including job losses and a significant competitive disadvantage for European firms.
The VDMA urges the EU Commission to urgently renegotiate and ensure that mechanical engineering products are permanently exempted from sectoral tariffs.
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